1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a camera with an electronic flash assembly. More particularly, this invention relates to a camera with a retractable electronic flash assembly, which is movable to an inactive position and an active position and whose flashtube is movable forward and backward to change an illumination angle.
2. Description of Related Art
Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 10-104696 discloses a camera with a retractable electronic flash assembly. The flash assembly is driven in association with a retraction, a projection and a zooming of a taking-lens barrel of the camera. When the taking-lens barrel is retracted, that is when a power supply of the camera is OFF, the flash assembly is stored in an inactive position in a camera body. When the power supply is turned ON and the taking-lens barrel is protruded to an initial position, the flash assembly is moved to an active position over the camera body. In association with the zooming of the taking-lens barrel, a flashtube in the flash assembly is moved forward and backward so that an illumination angle is changed in accordance with a zooming position.
The conventional moving mechanism of the flash assembly and the flashtube comprises a drive cam, a cam following lever, a slide plate, a drive lever, a drive spring and a connecting rod. The drive cam is connected to an output shaft of a drive motor through a gear train. When the drive cam is rotated by a driving force of the drive motor, the cam following lever is moved to follow a cam face of the drive cam. Then, the flash assembly is moved to a predetermined position and the flashtube is moved to a predetermined illumination angle position by actions of the slide plate, the drive lever, the drive spring, the connecting rod and so on, which are connected to the cam following lever. The conventional moving mechanism of the flash assembly and the flashtube is thus complicated.